„What is What?“ – Great Host 2016

The following text was created by players and continues to strengthen our idea of a player driven Great Host. All participants of the „Counceil of Banners“ are players. The Great Host is led by players, not NPCs. NPCs only fulfil support roles (like the Watch for example).

Attention, please! Before we start, we explain a few terms…

The next campaign against the Primordial Sceptics in the Mirror World is approaching. During the last campaign, several alterations, resulting from the development of the game events, were tested and as a result found generally good and expandable.

In many discussions (InGame as well as OutGame), ideas for improvement suggested to us got talked through and we attempted to include some of them in the structure for the upcoming Conquest.

So what do these structures look like that await you this year? To explain it all would go beyond the scope of this article, but at least the most basic structures can be named. They are the pillars carrying the success of a war campaign and are filled with life by you:

The Host (the brave fighters)

The messengers and scouts (the swift feet)

The collectors of knowledge and the scholars (the sagacious minds)

The baggage (the perfectly equipped provisioners)

The Council of Banners (the sapient leaders)

We did not really invent these structures recently. However, they were adjusted to fit the play and the new setting with its specifications. This came from all of us, the players of Mythodea. Everyone is welcome to help develop these structures, to participate in their further alteration, to work their way up the ranks and to become „important“ themselves (whatever that might mean to the indivudal). Be it as a mentor, a messenger or as a banner leader – be a part of it, because in the end, you are all important!

Different terms and symbols belong to some of these basic structures which were introduced during the last campaign and which are not only kept for this year but are also partially refined and extended. We do not want to smother you, our co-players, with these improvements as soon as the convention begins, but instead we’d like to inform you in advance and thus prepare you. Therefore, we will explain the most important points briefly in a non-alphabetical but topically sorted glossary below. If you wish for a general overview over the setting itself and the world that awaits us, please refer to the official website for information.
We hope you are just as excited for the Conquest 2016 as we are.

We are looking forward to playing with you,

the players of the Council of Banners

Banners (“Banner”):

The campaign of the Mythodean fighters is split in five big camps (= Banners). They are called “Unity Banner”, “Adamant Banner”, “Freedom Banner”, “Explorer’s Banner” and “Retinue Banner” (an explanation about the game philosophy of each banner can be found here).

Quarters (“Viertel”):

Inside the → Banners, there are different quarters which are mostly independently organised. Here, fighters encamp together, some because they all belong to one seal territory, some because they feel a special connection to a certain element and some because they are united by something else entirely.

War Council (“Kriegsrat”):

The War Council holds a meeting during the convent of the elements (Jenseits der Siegel – Beyond the Seals). It decides about the goals of the upcoming war campaign and appoints the → Banner Leaders who lead the campaign in their name. The Sovereign Council of Mythodea (i.e. Archons and Nyames or respectively their delegates) decides who is in a position to claim a seat in this war council. Currently, it does not only consist of representatives of each seal territory but also of spokespersons of bigger groupings that play an essential part on the continent or during the campaign (such as, for example, the Elemental Nations or the Seafarer’s Guild).

Council of Banners (“Bannerrat”):

The → Banner Leaders meet in form of the Council of Banners during the campaign and make necessary decisions for the whole campaign. A representative of the Ouai functions as their consultant.

Symbol: symbol of the Council of Banners which consists of a crossed sword (= power) and key (= responsibility) in the middle of a pentagon.

This bunting identifies the five Banner Leaders.

Banner Leaders (“Bannerführer”):

A Banner Leader presides over the whole → Banner and is authorised to make decisions on military concerns as well as civil concerns. He represents his own banner in the → Council of Banners.

Symbol: symbol of the Council of Banners in gold/ green with adorned edges

The following Banner Leaders have been appointed for the upcoming campaign:

Adamant Banner: Mandred Snorrson

Unity Banner: Leonora vom Roten Moor

Banner of Freedom: Sturmhart Eisenkeil

Explorer’s Banner: Sariel van Turen

Retinue Banner: Osmond von Bar

Host Leaders (“Heerführer”):

The Host Leaders each lead the warriors of one or more → quarters within a → banner (or even across the banners if the situation in a fight should make this necessary). They are the military representatives of the → Council of Banners on the battlefield.

Symbol: symbol of the Council of Banners in white/ green

Consul (“Konsul”):

A consul is, compared to a → Host Leader, the “helping hand” of the → Banner Leader. He, however, deals with the civil affairs of the campaign and is, among other things, responsible for the flow of information between the → Council of Banners/ Banner Leader and the members of the campaign.

Symbol: symbol of the Council of Banners in white/ blue

Symbols of the Council of Banners (left side: Host Leader, right side: Consul)

The Watch (“Heereswacht”):

The Watch has been entrusted with the protection of the baggage and the internal security by the → War Council for the duration of the summer campaign. It represents a neutral party between the different → Banners and groups. It also deals with police tasks, provided that each Banner gives its permission.
Also, the → Pigeonry of the host messengers can be found here, amongst other things.

Host Messenger (“Heeresbote”):

A messenger who is registered with the → Pigeonry and its messenger representatives and who carries a bunting of the host messengers. The host messengers work together across all banners for the collective good of the whole campaign. A host messenger may additionally be a member of another messenger system within any → Quarter or → Banner.

Symbol: white/ red, a scroll (“rolling pin”) on a shield with a sword crossed behind it

Pigeonry („Taubenschlag“):

The pigeonry is a central point for the exchange of messages with importance for the war campaign. It is situated near →the Watch in → the Retinue Banner.

Messenger Station („Botenstation“):

In each → Banner, there is a central contact point for the host messengers to meet up and from where the most important news get spread or delivered to the → Pigeonry.

Messenger Spokesperson („Botensprecher“):

In each → Banner, there are two messenger spokespersons who coordinate the → Host Messengers of their banner.

Messenger Council („Botenrat“):

The → Messenger Spokespersons and the messenger mistress of → The Watch meet up daily in order to discuss important concerns of the host messengers.

„It’s as hectic here as if it was a pigeonry…“ (above: symbol of the host messengers)

Forage („Fourage“):

Forage generally means all kinds of supplies and materials that an army carries – in our case, this means material for our campaign into the Mirror World. In order to be able to play with these resources without wasting actually valuable things such as provisions, especially designated bags filled with meritless filling are used as a substitute and therefore function as game items.
A more detailed description of playing with the forage as well as the necessary preparations can be accessed in two blog entries about this topic (only german: part 1 and part 2).

Retinue Depot („Trossmeisterei“):

The retinue depot is the centre of supplies (→ Forage). Among other things, it distributes the sealed forage bags to parts of the host when presented with delivery orders and also retracts the devaluated bags.